66-70 King St, Waiuku
View on map|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
BestStart Waiuku is well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children.
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
BestStart Waiuku is licensed for 138 children, including 24 children up to two years of age. The service is comprised of three purpose-built centres catering for children from babies to preschool.
The centre is part of the BestStart charitable trust. The organisation has re-branded all its early learning services. It provides an overarching governance and management framework to support operations and curriculum delivery in individual centres. Business managers (BM) and professional services managers (PSM) lead the staff professional development and provide strategic guidance.
The majority of staff are long-serving in the centre. An acting centre manager has recently been appointed to guide centre operations. Three head teachers have been employed since the 2016 ERO review. They oversee the management of curriculum and mentor staff in the centre they lead. The acting manager is establishing shared understandings about teaching and learning practices.
The 2016 ERO report noted supportive relationships encourage for children's independence. This strength remains evident. The learning environment has been refurbished. Managers and the teaching team are reviewing the centre's philosophy to better reflect the intentions of teachers.
This review was part of a cluster of nine reviews in BestStart's Upper North Island region.
Children respond positively to the warm and responsive environment where teachers welcome parents and children. Teachers engage children in respectful and responsive conversations to help them connect to their centre experience. Children enjoy their friendships and play cooperatively with their peers. Teachers encourage parents to be part of their children's play and learning.
Children play in an environment underpinned by literacy, mathematics and especially science. The spacious environment offers opportunities for teachers to provide provocations and a variety of learning opportunities that children. Teachers provide a curriculum that incorporates the emergent interests of children and develop their learning dispositions.
Teachers' reciprocal relationships with families are well established. Parents share their 'hopes and dreams' for their child in formal and informal meetings. Leaders and teachers are developing learning partnerships with families that enable them to know children and families well.
Teachers collate children's development in individual assessment portfolios. An online information sharing tool has strengthened communication with parents and whānau.
Infants and toddlers freely explore their environment. Teachers engage in conversations with children as they play to build language development. They provide opportunities to promote infants' and toddlers' oral language and support their learning and development.
Children experience a programme that promotes Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Teachers use waiata, karakia and te reo Māori with children during routine times. Visual displays, artefacts and rituals further support children's understanding of Māori values.
Centre operations are guided by strategic and annual plans, and a shared vision. These are linked to BestStart strategic goals, which promote a sense of belonging to a wider learning community and support more widespread collaboration amongst teaching teams. Leaders and teachers regularly revisit the centre's strategic goals and annual action plans to monitor quality and promote ongoing improvement.
Centre leaders agree that key next steps for centre development include continuing to:
develop and embed centre philosophies with indicators to guide teaching practices and curriculum development
support leaders to strengthen teaching practices across teams, using reflective and collaborative evaluation of curriculum planning and teaching practice
strengthen internal evaluation to ensure ongoing improvement in all aspects of centre operations
strengthen bicultural aspects of the programme.
Before the review, the staff and management of BestStart Waiuku completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
Steve Tanner
Director Review and Improvement Services Northern
Northern Region
19 September 2019
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
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Location |
Waiuku, Auckland |
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Ministry of Education profile number |
25345 |
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Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
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Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
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Number licensed for |
138 children, including up to 24 aged under 2 years |
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Service roll |
155 |
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Gender composition |
Boys 57% Girls 43% |
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Ethnic composition |
Māori |
8% |
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Percentage of qualified teachers |
80% + |
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Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
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Review team on site |
July 2019 |
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Date of this report |
19 September 2019 |
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Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
June 2015 |
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|
Education Review |
March 2012 |
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Education Review |
March 2009 |
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ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes will depend on how well the service promotes positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
Very well placed
Well placed
Requires further development
Not well placed
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.
|
Not well placed |
Requires further development |
Well placed |
Very well placed |
ERO's findings that support this overall judgement are summarised below.
First steps Waiuku is licensed to provide education and care for 88 children, including 24 children up to two years of age. Children are catered for in three age-related groups in two buildings on the same site. The centre’s aim is to provide a warm, safe and friendly environment for children’s learning and development.
The long serving centre manager has returned after an extended period of leave. Head teachers in the three rooms have responsibility for care routines and programme implementation. The centre operates as a part of Kidicorp Ltd. Professional and administrative direction is provided by a Kidicorp professional services manager and a business manager. Kidicorp provides operational frameworks, policies, support and guidance to develop and monitor centre practices.
Since the 2012 ERO report the licence has been extended from 48 to 88 children and there have been changes in personnel. The centre has purchased a site next door and a new purpose-built facility will be built to cater for a planned further licence extension.
Teachers see children as competent and capable and encourage them to be independent. Children show a sense of belonging in the centre. They benefit from positive, supportive relationships with teachers and each other. Children enjoy conversations with adults and other children.
Children in the preschool have opportunities to sustain their imaginative and collaborative play. They talk about their play and share their ideas confidently with each other and their teachers. The indoor and outdoor environments are attractive and invite children to explore freely and to build on their interests. Teachers in this area promote cooperation and engagement in learning experiences.
Infants and toddlers experience close interactions with their teachers. They play in separate areas in one of the modified houses. Teachers respond well to these young children and they provide them with a variety of learning opportunities. Toddlers develop independence in their play and make choices about indoor and outdoor activities. Teachers find the outdoor spaces challenging to provide a stimulating environment for infants and toddlers.
Children’s literacy and mathematical skills are nurtured in the context of their play. Learning stories contain very good observations of children’s play, interests and developing dispositions. Online assessment portfolios provide whānau with opportunities to contribute information about their children’s learning.
Some teachers use te reo Māori phrases and include tikanga Māori very well in their practice and children participate confidently and enthusiastically. These teachers support colleagues to extend their knowledge and confidence in using te reo Māori and to develop bicultural practices. The centre manager will continue to prioritise Treaty of Waitangi principles in the centre’s philosophy.
Teachers help parents to familiarise their children with the centre when they enrol. They work together with parents to support children who are transitioning to rooms for older age groups. The centre has established relationships with a neighbouring school and shares information about starting school with parents. The centre manager plans to make connections with other schools in the local area.
The centre manager and teachers follow Kidicorp quality assurance processes to review centre practices. Continuing to strengthen teacher capability in self review could support the centre’s commitment to ongoing improvement and promoting positive outcomes for children.
ERO managers have established appropriate goals for improvement that include:
Before the review, the staff and management of First Steps Waiuku completed an ERO Centre Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklist. In these documents they attested that they have taken all reasonable steps to meet their legal obligations related to:
During the review, ERO looked at the service’s systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:
All early childhood services are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.
The next ERO review of First Steps Waiuku will be in three years.
Dale Bailey
Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern
The Education Review Office (ERO) is the government department that, as part of its work, reviews early childhood services throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. ERO’s reports provide information for parents and communities about each service’s strengths and next steps for development. ERO’s bicultural evaluation framework Ngā Pou Here is described in SECTION 3 of this report. Early childhood services are partners in the review process and are expected to make use of the review findings to enhance children's wellbeing and learning.
|
Location |
Waiuku, Franklin District |
||
|
Ministry of Education profile number |
25345 |
||
|
Licence type |
Education & Care Service |
||
|
Licensed under |
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 |
||
|
Number licensed for |
88 children, including up to 24 aged under 2 |
||
|
Service roll |
150 |
||
|
Gender composition |
Boys 89 Girls 61 |
||
|
Ethnic composition |
Māori |
9 |
|
|
Percentage of qualified teachers 0-49% 50-79% 80%+ Based on funding rates |
80% + |
||
|
Reported ratios of staff to children |
Under 2 |
1:5 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
Over 2 |
1:10 |
Meets minimum requirements |
|
|
Review team on site |
April 2015 |
||
|
Date of this report |
19 June 2015 |
||
|
Most recent ERO report(s) |
Education Review |
March 2012 |
|
|
Education Review |
March 2009 |
||
ERO’s overarching question for an early childhood education review is ‘How well placed is this service to promote positive learning outcomes for children?’ ERO focuses on the following factors as described in the bicultural framework Ngā Pou Here:
Pou Whakahaere – how the service determines its vision, philosophy and direction to ensure positive outcomes for children
Pou Ārahi – how leadership is enacted to enhance positive outcomes for children
Mātauranga – whose knowledge is valued and how the curriculum is designed to achieve positive outcomes for children
Tikanga whakaako – how approaches to teaching and learning respond to diversity and support positive outcomes for children.
Within these areas ERO considers the effectiveness of arotake – self review and of whanaungatanga – partnerships with parents and whānau.
ERO evaluates how well placed a service is to sustain good practice and make ongoing improvements for the benefit of all children at the service.
A focus for the government is that all children, especially priority learners, have an opportunity to benefit from quality early childhood education. ERO will report on how well each service promotes positive outcomes for all children, with a focus on children who are Māori, Pacific, have diverse needs, and are up to the age of two.
For more information about the framework and Ngā Pou Here refer to ERO’s Approach to Review in Early Childhood Services.
The overall judgement that ERO makes and the timing of the next review will depend on how well placed a service is to promote positive learning outcomes for children. The categories are:
ERO has developed criteria for each category. These are available on ERO’s website.
ERO reviews are tailored to each service’s context and performance, within the overarching review framework. The aim is to provide information on aspects that are central to positive outcomes for children and useful to the service.